


Dance to forget and remember

by taotrooper



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Birthday Party, Dancing, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-20
Updated: 2015-05-20
Packaged: 2018-03-31 09:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3972415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taotrooper/pseuds/taotrooper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Happy Hungry Bunch makes plans for Yona and Kija's birthdays. Spoilers for chapter 100+.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dance to forget and remember

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Dawgy ([gloriousrumpoflife](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gloriousrumpoflife)) for the beta read! Written for AkaYona week day 2 theme: Memories.

When it comes to his birthdays, Kija's used to be eventful. The whole village would make a big deal out of it. The preparations would begin three months before so the presents and dancers could be ready on time for the utmost of their holidays. It was basically an ode to his existence, and the existence of the previous white dragons, and the existence of the ones that would come after him. Besides the excess of his favorite dishes on the table, it wasn't too personalized. It followed the same pattern for generations, just like the crops on their farming terraces. Even the music was centuries old. It was something deep-rooted, something that existed so long before him that he basked on it not just for ego, but for the wonder of the legacy being kept alive.

It would be weird this year, with him far from the village. They would celebrate it without Kija, sad but joyful at the same time. He didn't know how to feel about it. He embraced his fate, but missed his people. It was probably best to not make a big deal out of it and be mature about it.

* * *

When it comes to her birthdays, Yona's used to be eventful. Invitations had to be sent to nobles. The dress she'd wear, layers and layers of clothing, had to be made weeks beforehand. The seamstresses would have to be ready for the princess' measurements or choices, always reworking on it days before the date in case she had grown or had changed weight drastically. The guests would bring amazing, rich gifts to stand out to the royal family. She made sure she'd look her very best and try every tasty dish once. Even if she'd tire eventually and escape the party with Soo-won and Hak, it was her favorite day of the year. Even her father wouldn't work that day.

Oh, how things had changed in a year. Now birthdays meant nothing but a body bleeding on the floor. Even if she didn't think about Soo-won's betrayal and King Il's demise, she couldn't see those parties the same way again. All that food, wasted, that could feed a whole poor village for a week... She started to dislike her own birthdays and so, she didn't say anything about them again.

* * *

The Happy Hungry Bunch didn't have the means to do anything that excessive, but they weren't going to leave it at that. Thus they schemed marvelously and actually included Yona and Kija while keeping the secrets to the two. To Yona, they told her that they were celebrating Kija's birthday; to Kija, that they were celebrating Yona's. Neither Yona nor Kija asked further questions about Jae-ha's excursions with Yoon or when Zeno would accompany Shin-ah on his training sessions, as they were 'a secret for the birthday party.' Each was asked to distract the other until the night between the 6th and the 7th, which gave the group space to prepare stuff without them knowing it was a double party. It was ridiculously easy for everyone involved, even for the two to be lavished.

"Surprise! Happy birthday to both!" They gasped and almost drop the clean laundry on the floor when they were back to the camp. It wasn't a banquet, but they had sweets and cheap alcohol and Yona and Kija's favorite dishes. Everyone was smiling. It was hard to say no to that.

* * *

"Hak..." She whispered while the others smelled the roasted pheasant. "What do you think Father would say about having so much fun today? It's been a year since he..."

"Princess, please." Hak waved her sad thoughts like a fly. "He'd much prefer you celebrating you're still alive instead of moping over his death. If this makes you happy, then he's happy."

"You're right," she said with tears in her eyes, but still grinning. "I'll leave an offering to him and pray after the party is over."

"Sounds like a good plan to me. I'll pray for his soul, too."

"Thanks, Hak."

"Besides, Yona," Yoon butted in when he was back with a new batch of chicken. "We want you to associate your birthday with something nice now. This can be your new default memory for your next birthdays. It doesn't have to be a tragedy or stinking rich feasts to be memorable! Just leave it to this genius pretty boy and it'll be amazing, as usual."

Yona giggled.

"It is. Thank you so much again, Yoon."

"I must thank you as well, Yoon," said Kija with his right hand over his heart.

"Everyone helped, but... you're welcome."

"Yes," Kija continued, speaking to Yona, "it's what they were telling me when I helped with your half of the birthday party. That you needed brand new happy memories. And I've been thinking about it, and we all do. We two have been privileged in having our birthdays celebrated in a grandiose way. Hak and Yoon, you were adopted by caring people. But Shin-ah, he never had anything done for his until we did and he was so overwhelmed. Zeno probably forgot at least a thousand of his and just didn't care anymore, so he was hugging us so hard when we remembered. Jae-ha had good birthdays with the captain, but he couldn't have nice ones while he was in his village."

"I see your point." Yona closed her eyes and smiled. "Memories for all of us."

Hak, Yoon, and Kija also smiled back.

"Yoon-kun! Get over here, it's time for the main event."

"Sure, comiiiiing."

"Event, event~!"

Kija and Yona looked at each other and shrugged. This was the one top secret for their birthday neither of them knew about.

* * *

The other three dragons stood at an ample empty area in front of the tiny feast. They actually hadn't eaten that much yet, in case that would turn their stomachs. Yoon sat at a close distance, holding Jae-ha's erhu and bow in different hands.

"Yoon, since when can you play?"

"I don't play yet," he admitted. "He just taught me the song during the week since he won't be able to play it while he dances."

"Yoon-kun is a prodigy even in music, yes," said Jae-ha with a theatrical voice. "Kija-kun mentioned that in Hakuryuu village they do some Dragon Dance on his birthdays. We have no idea how that dance is like, obviously, but we thought of this. If we three could perform beautifully, it should still count as **A** Dragon Dance as we're dragons and we're dancing."

"You guys..." Kija started to tear up.

"It's... my first time dancing." Said Shin-ah. "Zeno taught me."

"Seiryuu is a good student! Let's do this then! Hit it, lad!"

Yoon played a cheerful song and indeed it was hard to believe he had just learned it. The dance itself... It wasn't bad, ignoring that Shin-ah was moving slightly stiff, but it had a strange choreography. It took distinct elements from many things: complicated pirouettes, jumps, kicks and punches from martial arts, parts of Yona's own dances, arm flailing, and so on. It was like they couldn't decide what to dance so they just threw everything into the pot. It didn't help that Ao joined in and jumped from shoulder to shoulder. By the end, everyone was containing laughter.

"Oh guys. This was really sweet and you worked hard on it..."

"What White Snake is trying to say politely is that it was too dorky," said Hak.

"Shut up, I wasn't going to say that! It was good, but it's nothing like the Dragon Dance. I really like it, though."

Yona stood up and went to the center.

"Good job, everyone. Tell me, Kija, was the Dragon Dance the same dance your villagers did during the banquet when we went to look for you?"

"Yes, it was."

"Oh! Then I remember a part!"

Yona extended an arm to the side and bent the other parallel to her chest. Then she started twirling in circles, the body and the arm waving up and down gracefully. Her earrings and her hair of dawn swayed with her. All the men, some more than others, lost their breath at the beauty of the dance and the girl.

"T-that's it, yes." Yona had stopped, but Kija's face was still red and his pulse was still fast.

The first one to snap out of it was Zeno, who nodded to himself and wore a crazy grin.

"Hakuryuu, was the dance anything like this?"

The Ouryuu started doing Yona's dance steps, but then he did a continuation. The performance fit the mood of the first part and was just as elegant. Everyone gave him space and stared in a trance as Zeno moved in a slow, ceremonious fashion that resembled nothing to his usual silly shuffles. He was whirling almost like an actual dragon god in the sky.

"Was it like this?"

"I've never seen the part in the middle where you bent your knee, and it's missing a couple of steps, but the other parts were definitely from the Dragon Dance."

"I'm glad!" Zeno grinned at Kija and the others. "Zeno just did the Ryuunen. The dragon soar. It was a very popular dance in parties in Hiryuu Castle, back in the days of the Red King. After his death, priests in the temples would use it as a way to pray to his spirit in religious ceremonies." He didn't add the fact that Zeno's days as Royal Priest were at fault for that, when people had already forgotten the dance and he felt the services were too boring.

"Do they still do that?" Yoon asked. "I just imagined Ik-soo tripping as he tries to do that dance."

"Zeno wonders. Anyway, it seems your Dragon Dance is a local variation of the Ryuunen that was altered within the centuries."

"Wow. That's amazing. It all comes back from the First Generation Hakuryuu, then?" Kija sighed. He loved it when Zeno gave him new original dragon lore to nerd about.

"Probably, yup. But enough talking! We've got most of the Dragon Dance, so Zeno will teach everyone how to do it. Come too, Hakuryuu! Let’s all get down!"

"What?! I-I can't dance, Zeno."

"Doesn't matter, we'll teach you." Jae-ha grabbed Kija's shoulders and dragged him to the front. "The idea is beautiful. All four dragons dancing the beautiful dragon dance goes with my ideals of beauty."

"Can I join, too?" Yona asked, her fists clenched in enthusiasm. "I want to learn it so bad!"

"Of course you can, Princess!" All four nodded, more excited.

"Hak, come with us!"

"I’ll pass," Hak reclined on the tree behind him, sake cup in his hand. "I prefer to watch you from here while you step on Jae-ha's dragon paw." It was true, however, that he really wanted to see Yona dance some more.

"I wouldn't mind, Yona-chan... I mean, you'll do great!"

"Okay, beasts," clapped Yoon, "I'll be playing the erhu here for you. And one, and two..."

Music, laughter, and new memories filled the nocturnal air as they tried to dance. Neither the birthday boy nor the birthday girl felt sad anymore.


End file.
